A former letter carrier who used her position to deliver marijuana for a Maryland drug dealer was sentenced to 21 months in prison, Department of Justice officials announced on Oct. 21.
Michael Prandy of Silver Spring, Maryland, testified that he paid former postal worker Takisha Cole to deliver and send packages of marijuana through the USPS from May 2013 to August 2014, Packages were sent to Prandy from various locations, including California, arriving at the Silver Spring Postal Annex. Cole then delivered them for $50 to $100 per package.
The operation continued through 2014, even after Prandy’s residence was taken off of Cole’s route in August 2013.
Prandy, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy and was sentenced to 33 months in prison, testified against Cole in a five-day trial, detailing how he would leave payment for the packages in envelopes in his residential mailbox for Cole to pick up.
Cole, who served in the USPS from March 2011 until September 2014, was charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana, use of a communications device to facilitate drug trafficking and bribery.
In addition to the 21-month sentence, she received three years of supervised release once released from prison.
In a statement from the DOJ, United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the U.S. Postal Service -Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Montgomery County Police Department for their work in the investigation.
